We take an hours drive and drop you off at a dead end, (the Gamkapoort dam) to ride one of the Western Cape's most spectacular passes, Bosluyskloof, with its 60 bends remarkably fitted in a 7.6 km length.  The historic pass dates back to 1862 and was completed by Thomas Bain's brother-in-law, Adam de Smitdt. From there we turn left into a Certified Unesco World Heritage Site (Seweweekspoort) with is easy gradients, multiple river crossings and mind-boggling geology. We cycle through the towns of Amalienstein and Zoar, former German mission stations. The home stretch is via the fruit-producing Hoeko valley where one can find the birth place of C.J. Langenhoven. and unique Ladismith style architecture. 

On Day 2 we start in Ladismith with a short warm up on tar and follow the district road a further 42 kms to Van Wyksdorp, a undiscovered corner of the Klein Karoo. It is a cultural kaleidoscope untouched by the modern hustle and bustle of city life and ecologically rich in succulent Klein Karoo biodiversity. A visit to the Van Wyksdorp Mall add some shopping to our agenda.  From here we cycle the Rooiberg pass, built in 1928 to join Van Wyksdorp with Carlitzdorp. With a total of 69 bends, corners and curves which include 6 hairpins, this pass is not to be trifled with. Our reward: spectacular views to the North and South with valleys and ridges bedecked in fynbos. The pass lies within the Rooiberg conservancy, a 60 000 hectare mountainous area that forms part of the Gouritz biodiversity meander, which aims to conserve this incredible meeting place of three biomes, one of only 35 biodiversity hot spots in the world. The home run include navigating the downhill where we will take a 30 minutes drive back to Ladismith. 

On Day 3, we take an hours drive to Oudshoorn. Leaving Oudtshoorn, the route drifts onto quiet gravel backroads that trace the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, where orchards and ostrich farms give way to rolling Karoo scrubland. The road winds through the Groenfontein Valley, one of the Klein Karoo’s most beautiful hidden corridors, with sandstone ridges, remote farms and old homesteads tucked among dry riverbeds. Gradually, the gravel dips and climbs through koppies and valleys scented with fynbos and dust, before descending into the green folds of Calitzdorp, where vineyards and the promise of a glass of port mark the end of a day carved out of pure Karoo solitude. A 30 mins drive will take you back to Ladismith. 

The route sets out from Ladismith, heading north on quiet gravel roads that wind through farmlands at the base of Towerkop, the town’s striking twin-peaked mountain. The first stretch climbs gently through orchards and smallholdings before reaching the scenic Van Zylsdamme area — a cluster of working farms nestled in a broad, fertile valley. From the dam, the road turns west along the foot of the Swartberg, rolling through open Karoo countryside with wide views of sandstone ridges, grazing land, and acacia-dotted plains. The return leg drops gradually back toward Ladismith, following gravel backroads that trace dry riverbeds and windmills, before re-entering town with Towerkop once again dominating the skyline — a fitting backdrop to the end of a classic Karoo gravel loop.